Chuck-operating device



F. S. FLOETER CHUCK OPERATING DEVICE Filed June' 21 v1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR TTORNE April 1 1924'.

F. s. FLOETER CHUCK OPERATING DEVICE Filed June` 2i 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R O T. m W I ATTORNEY Patented par., il,

unirse srarss FATENT DFFICE.

FREDERGK S. FLOETER, 0E SAGINAV, l-CHIf-EN, ASSIGNO-R TO WICKES- BROTHER-S, 0F SAGINAV, MEGHGAT. A CORPORATION @F MICHIG-AN.

CHUCK-DEPERAT`ING DEVICE.

Application filed June 21, 1923. Serial No. 646,819.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK S. FLoETnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saginaw, in the countyr of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chuck- Operating Devices; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full,.clear, and exact description of the invention, such` as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rThis invention pertains to chucks and relates more particularly to a means for chucking automobile crank shafts and the like in lathes for turning or grinding.

lt has been found in practice that the total lathe operation time on one gas engine crank shaft pin is approximately two and one half minutes, although the actual cutting time per pin is only sixty seconds. The time consumed by the operations of placing the shaft in the lathe, clampingA it and removing it after machining is, therefore, about. four times that required for the actual cuttingtool operation.

My present invention provides a chucking mechanism that reduces the time` required to clamp and unclampvthe work, thereby greatlyy increasing the hourly output of the machine.

More specifically7 the objects of myrinvention are to provide a motor-operated clampactuating device for quickly and easilyv clamping and releasing the work. y

A further object is to produce a poweractuated clamp that normally remains clear of the chuck when not being used, but when operated automatically swings into position above the chuck and descends and rigidly clamps the work. Upon reversal theclamp automatically rises clear of Jthe work and swings out of the way into its initial position.

My invention also provides as an integral part of the work-holding chuck a clamp actuating gearing that derives its power from a motor mounted on the work chuck or from a rotatable shaft concealed within the hol low lathe spindle, the shaft rotated by a motor preferably mounted on the lathe stock.

With the foregoing and certain other ob-A jects in view which will appear later in the l specifications my invention comprises the devices described and claimed and the equivalents thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the head stock of a crank shaft lathe.

Fig. 2 isV a front view of the chuck with the work in place.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the work removed.

Fig. l is a front view of the clamping device adapted for clamping straight work coaxial with the lathe spindle.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of chuck with a' clamp-actuating motor mounted thereon.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the parts shown lin Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 isa detailed view of a modified motor mounting. n

As is clearly shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 to 3, 1 is a head stock of a lathe carrying the usual hollow work spindle 2. 3 is the work chuck and 4 is the shaft or other work on which a crank pin isto be machined.

The face of the chuck is provided with a work seat 5,` above which is a vertically movable clamping head 6 which is also capable of swinging sideways into the posi tions shown by dotted lines at 6a and 6b in Fig. 2.

The head 6 has a longitudinally movable and rotatable shank 7 carried by a suitable bearing on the chuck 3. integral with the shank 7 is a screw 8 threaded through the hub Yof a worm gear 9 which is rotatable, but immovable axially, being mounted as shown in Fig. 3 in the face of work chuck 3.

10 is a worm fixed to worm shaft 11, and 12 is a train of gears actuating the worm shaft and may be driven by a rotatable shaft 13 ywithin, the hollow spindle 2 of the lathe. An electric or other motor 14 has its shaft connected by n. a suitable coupling 15, to shaft 13. y

To limit the sidewise movement of clamping head 6 I provide on chuck 3 as shown in Fig. 2, a lug 16 to stop the head 6 in the position indicated at 6b. On the head 6 l also provide a shoulder 17 to engage the lug 16 when the head is in position 6a.-

The operation of chuoking a crank shatt for turning or grinding is as follows:

The work-clamping head -S being out et the way in position 6b,'the shaft end is placed on the seat 5 ot chuck 3 and the motor 1li is started.

Shaft 13 turns the train ot gears shaft 11, worin 10 and the worm wheel 9 which latter acts as a revolt/able but longitudinally immovable nut.

it first screw 3 turns with nut and swings the clamp head 6 from its idle position 6b into position 6nv above the wo seat 5. Further turning of head 6 is checked by stopping ot shoulder l? against lug 16. Thereafter the threaded worin wheel 9 draws screw 8 downward until clamp head 6 grips the work tight upon seat 5. he shank or spindle 7 is closely but slidingly fitted to its bearing in chuck 3 and prevents lateral strain being brought upon screw 8 when the clamp is in action.

The reduction gears 12, worm gear 9 and screw 8 form a powerful self-locking train.

Motor 14, although it in 19 the y have but small power, is capable of draw the head 6 down upon the work with great torce. When the motor is stopped the self-locking train of gearing will prevent the clamp 6 from loosening its grip. lf clamping is completed before the motor current is shut oli shaft 13 and the rotor of the motor will stop but the iield of tic motor may remain excited for a short time without danger of injuring the motor so that the operator need not shut. oli the motor upon the instant. Reversing the direction oi the motor reverses the steps of the clamping operation. ln suoli case the worm gear lifts the clamp head 6 until it clears the work a, whereupon it automatically swings into position 6b of Fig. 3 and comes to rest against stop 16. The motor may then be shut off by the operator.

The type of chuck clamping mechanism and the power drive iter actuating the clamp as previouslyT described is particularly adapted for turning crank pins on cranl shafts for reciprocating engines and the like where the work 4- is oiiset radially from the spindle axis by a distance equal to the length or the crank.

For turning or grinding` straight shafts the work is chucked coaxial with the lathe, as shown in Fig. It, the train oi gearing between the shaft 13 and worm. gear 9 being modified as to its position and arrangementto suit the space available in the chuck and the location o1" the work clamp head 6.

In the foregoing description the motor has been located at the remote end of the head stock and drives the chuck gears by shaft 13.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5 the motor le* is mounted in the chuck 3 and revolves with it. The train of gears 12a is sed for actuat f oi' Fig. 2 and ch 1J.rin D 'ink shafts in a in turning lathe. is sometimes desirable to suppor.. the the. revolvi g work spindle 2, i Fig. Y, in which case the motor y lves with the spindle, and current is sul 1ali ed to the slowly revolving motor by means or.' commutator rings and brushes 14th, as shown.

l/l/vhile l have shown and described an electric motor as the Asource of power for actuating-the clamp 6, it is obvious that any other type oi .motor driven by steam, air or liquid may be employed if desired. Also have shown a rigid coupling 15 connecting the shaft oi motor 14 with rotatable spindle i3, but any other suitable form of coupling, as a `friction coupling, may be employed if desired, without departing from my invention as set forth in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. ln a lathe having a hollow spindle, a chuck formed with a work seat and a clamping head movable toward and from the said seat and angularly movable with respect thereto, a threaded shank on said head, a revolvable axially immovable nut threaded on said shank, revolvable shaft in said hollow spindle, and gearing operatively connecting said shaft and revolvable nut.

9.. ln a lathe having a hollow spindle, a chuck formed with a part-cylindric workreceiving a clamping head movable toward and from the said seat and angularly movable with respect thereto, a shank on said hear., shank longitudinally slidable in sai d chuck, a rotatable motor-driven shaft ding through said spindle, and gearing operatively connecting said rotatable shaft and said slidable shank.

3. ln a lathe having stock and a hollow spindle, a chuck on said spindle having a work seat, a clamping head movable toward and from the said seat and angularly movable with respect thereto. a threaded shank on said heath worm wheel threaded on said shank, a worm meshing with said worm wheel. a motor on said lathe stock, a revolvable shaft in said hollow spindle driven by said motor and reducing gears carried by said chuck and operatively connecting said shaft and worm,

e. ln a lathe. a revolvable work chuck formed with a work-receiving seat, a clamping head on said chuck movable toward and from saids seat and angularly movable with respect thereto, a shank on said head, said Shank longitudinally Sldable in Said chuck, a levolvable, axially immovable nut opeialivel)vr engaging Said shank, a motor, and gearing operatively connecting said motor and said i'evolvable nut.

5. ln a lathe, a revolvable Work chuck 'formed with a Work-receiving seat, a clamping head on Said chuck movable toward and from said Seat, a shank on said head, said 10 Shank longitudinally slidable in said chuck,

a revolvable, axially immovable nut operativel;7 engaging Said shank, a rotatable spindle in said chuck, gearing connecting Said nut and rotatable spindle and adapted to t 'ansmt the movement of rot-ation of Said spindle into longitudinal movement of said clamping head.

ln testimony whereof, affix my signature.

FREDERICK S. FLOETER. 

